TSR 1011B Set 1 Basic Rules (Red Box with Elmore Art Mid 1980's).pdf

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Preface

This is a game that is fun. It helps you

imagine.

ever made. And you will see why, in just

a bit.

When you bought some other game

or book, did you ever think, “Gee, that’s

nice, but it’s not quite what I thought it

would be”? Well, your D&D adventures

will be just what you want, because

you’re the one making them up!

And it’s not hard. It takes a little read-

ing and a little thinking, but most of all,

it’s fun.

It’s fun when you discover that no-

body loses, and everybody wins!

It’s fun when you get good at the

game . . . for example, knowing what to

expect in a kobold cave, and which drag-

ons are on your side.

And you don’t have to put in a coin

each time, like many other games. Once

you have these rules, you don’t need

anything else.

lots more. But you already have every-

thing you need to start: this package, and

your imagination. That will do it.

Ah, yes; it does cost one more thing,

which you also have right now - a bit of

time. It takes a few minutes to learn the

basic rules, and another hour or two to

play a full game. You will probably want

to spend more time, and might even

make it a hobby; millions of people have.

But for now, just sit back and imagine.

“Your character stands atop a grassy hill . . .

the sun glints off your golden hair, rippling in

the warm breeze . . . you absent-mindedly rub

the gem-studded hilt of your magac sword, and

glance over at the dwarf and elf, bickering as

usual about how to load the horses . . . the

magic-user has memorized her spells, and says

she’s ready to go . . . a dangerous dungeon

entrance gapes at you from the mountain

nearby, and inside, a fearsome dragon awaits.

Time to get moving. . .

Have Fun!

“As you whirl around, your sword ready, the

huge, red, fire-breathing dragon swoops

toward you with a ROAR!”

See? Your imagination woke up already.

Now imagine: This game may be more

fun than any other game you have ever

played!

The DUNGEONS & DRAGONS@

game is a way for us to imagine together

- like watching the same movie, or

reading the same book. Butyou can write

the stories, without putting a word on

paper -just

by playing the D&D@

game.

You, along with your friends, will

create a great fantasy story, you will put

it away after each game, and go back to

school or work, but - like a book - the

adventure will wait. It’s better than a

book, though; it will keep going as long

as you like.

It is nearly the most popular game

There’s more, of course, if you want it:

exciting adventures to play, miniature fig-

ures of monsters and characters, expert

rules for more experienced players, and

Frank Mentzer

February, 1983

How to use this book

in this set is the DUNGEON MASTERS

RULEBOOK, and explains everything

the DM needs to know.

Acknowledgements

You can learn how to play the DUN-

GEONS & DRAGONS@game by your-

self, simply by reading the next sections

of this booklet. You don’t have to memo-

rize everything as you read; the first two

adventures are designed to teach you

while you play. If you are ready to learn,

begin reading at Start here.

The game is usually played in groups

of 3 or more people. If you want to learn

with others, it’s best if one person al-

ready knows how to play, and can teach

the others. If not, you (or one of the

others) may read the first adventure

aloud, while everyone follows along, to

learn the basics of the game. However,

it’s better if each person can read the

adventures separately.

When you all know how to play char-

acters, read the sections “DUNGEONS

& DRAGONS Characters” and “Play-

ing with a Group”. One person must

also learn how to be a Dungeon Master

(or DM) - the person who plays the

roles of the Monsters. The other booklet

The following individuals have made

this work po&ble through its years of

evolution: Dave Arneson, Brian Blume,

Dave Cook, Anne C. Gray, Ernie Gygax,

E. Gary Gygax, Allen Hammack, Kevin

Hendryx, John Eric Holmes, Harold

Johnson, Tim Kask, Jeff Key, Rob

Kuntz, Alan Lucien, Steve Marsh, Tom

Moldvay, Mike Mornard, Jon Pickens,

Brian Pitzer, Michael Price, Patrick L.

Price, Paul Reiche, Evan Robinson, Gor-

don Schick, Lawrence Schick, Don

Snow, Edward G. Sollers, Garry Spiegle,

Stephen D. Sullivan, Ralph Wagner, Jim

Ward, Jean Wells, and Bill Wilkerson.

This set gives all the details for playing a

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game. With

these rules, your characters can reach

the 3rd level of experience. (These and

other terms are explained later in this

booklet.) Other sets are available, with

more magic items and spells, monsters,

and rules for bigger and better games.

Set #2 is the D&D@EXPERT Rules,

for character levels 4th through 14th.

The D&D@COMPANION Rules is Set

#3, for characters levels 15th through

25th; and the D&D@MASTERS Set

gives the remaining: details for character

kvels 26th throughv 36th.

Thanks also to Donald Paterson, for

opening my own door to the D&~

Everything in these sets fits together

to form a

D&D fantasy

for Playing

world, and special thanks to Harold

playing games.

Johnson, who escorted me in.

may use all or part of these rules. They

often include several ways of playing

and running the game. You may create

new rules, monsters, and magic, using

these rules as guidelines.

Players Manual

by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson

Table of Contents

Learning to play DUNGEONS & DRAGONS@games ....................

Revised by Frank Mentzer

Illustrations by Larry Elmore

and Jeff Easley

0 1974, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1983

TSR Hobbies, Inc.

Start here

What is “role playing”?

What role will I play?

Your first adventure

........ 3

....... 9

.................................

Your character ...............................................

Alignment: How characters and monsters behave

Now where do you go?

The character sheet

Ability scores

Adjustments .................................

.....

........ 10

Saving throws

Special abilities

Combat chart

Dedication

This game has undergone a startling

metamorphosis from its earliest forms,

written for hobbyists, to the current

revision, usable and understandable by

nearly anyone. The original flavor and

intent has been carefully preserved.

With the greatest admiration, respect,

and thanks, this edition is dedicated to

the president and founder of TSR

Hobbies: E. GARY GYGAX.

Magic items ...................

.............

........ 11

Normal items

Other notes

Money and treasure

........ 12

..................................

Experience

Dice

This is very important. Be sure to read it carefully.

....... 13

Solo adventure .............

.............................

Part 1: Town business

Part 2: Battles

...............................

........ 14

More damage

The monsters

Combat checklist

Record keeping

Getting killed

Mapping

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS@ and D&D@

are registered trademarks owned by

TSR Hobbies, Inc.

This book is protected under the

America. Any reproduction or other

unauthorized use of the material or

artwork contained herein is prohibited

without the express written consent of

TSR Hobbies, Inc.

......... 15

........ 22

....... 23

...........................

Part 3: Into the caves

After the adventure.. ................... ........

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS@characters. .......................

What comes next?

Character classes

Prime requisites

Saving throws

Distributed to the book trade in the

United States by Random House, Inc.

and in Canada by Random House of Canada,

Ltd. Distributed to the toy and hobbv

trade by regional distributors.

........ 24

Character class: human ..................................

Cleric

Fighter ..........................................

............ 28

Magic-user .......... ........................

Thief .........................................

Printed in the U.S.A.

First Printing - May, 1983

.............. 43

.............

Character class: demi-human

Dwarf

...................................

..................

Players are not characters! ........................

Playing with a group ..................................................

How to prepare

Character alignment .................

...................

Adventuring rules ......................................

Encounter rules .............

......................

Additional rules. .............

......................

TSR Hobbies. Inc

Missile weapons

................. 60

Variable weapon damage ....................

Combat maneuvers

...................

nce

.......................

......... 62

................

ing

Glossary ...........................................

............. 63

Learning how to play DUNGEONS & DRAGONS” games

Start here

board could have all the dungeons,

dragons, monsters, and characters you

will need!

For now, while you are learning, you

will play a role in your imagination.

Later, when you play the game with oth-

ers, you will all be playing different roles

and talking together as if you were the

characters. It will be easy, but first you

need to get ready.

You also need equipment for adventur-

ing. You are carrying a backpack and

other items, very similar to what you

would carry when camping. Some of

these items include food, water, rope, a

lantern, and so forth; for now, just as-

sume you have everything you need to

survive in the wilderness.

With monsters around, you need pro-

tection! You are wearing armor made of

links of chain (called chain mail) and a

helmet. You own a beautiful sword, and

have a dagger tucked into one boot,just

in case. You know how to use all of your

equipment properly.

If you like, you can give your fighter a

name. It doesn’t matter whether you are

male or female.

All set? Let’s go!

A dungeon is a group of rooms and cor-

ridors in which monsters and treasures

can be found. And you will find them, as

you play the role of a character in a fan-

tasy world. There are many kinds of

monsters, but dragons are the biggest

and most dangerous - and have the

most treasure.

You can start playing this game right

now - without learning any rules, and

without anyone else to play with! Just start

reading, and you will discover the basics of

the game in a matter of minutes.

During your first adventure, you will

only need one of the dice in the box.

The others will be used later, for now all

you need is the roundish one with the

numbers 1 to 20 on it. Use the crayon to

fill in the numbers, and rub off extra

wax with a tissue so only the numbers

are colored in.

After you do that, get a pencil and

paper - and you’re ready to start!

Read this booklet just like any book.

Don’t skip around! This edition has been

completely revised to introduce the

game to you, step by step. While you are

reading the next sections, you will learn

many things about the game. You do not

have to memorize everything as you go

along.

By the time you have played the Solo

Adventure (pages 13-22), you will know

how to play the basic game. The rest of

this booklet gives other details that you

wiil need when playing the game with

others.

In group games, one person is the

Dungeon Master, and everyone else is a

player. The Dungeon Master (or DM,

for short) runs the game, while the oth-

ers play the roles of characters. The

other booklet in this set, DUNGEON

MASTERS RULEBOOK, gives all the

information needed for running group

games.

What role will I play?

Imagine: it is another place, another

time. The world is much like ours was,

long ago, with knights and castles and no

science or technology - no electricity,

no modern comforts of any kind.

Imagine: dragons are real. Were-

wolves are real. Monsters of all kinds live

in caves and ancient ruins. And magic

really works!

Imagine: you are a strong hero, a fa-

mous but poor fighter. Day by day you

explore the unknown, looking for mon-

sters and treasure. The more you find, the

more powerful and famous you become.

Your character’s basic abilities

In the game, we need some way of de-

scribing your character, the fighter you

will pretend to be. We can say the fighter

is “strong, fairly nimble, not too smart”

- but we need to describe the character

a little better than that.

We call these descriptions abilities

(Strength, Intelligence, and others). We

measure each one with a number, called

an “Ability Score.” The highest score

possible is 18, and the least is 3 (for rea-

sons we’ll discuss later).

You are a strong fighter; your Strength

score is 17, nearly the highest possible!

You are “fairly nimble,” which means

that you can move swiftly. The name for

this ability is Dexterity. As a fighter, you don’t

need a high Dexterity score.Your Dexterity

is 11 (which is a little above average).

A fighter often isn’t very smart. Your

character isn’t as smart as you are, but isn’t

stupid, either. Let’s say your Intelligence is 9

(which is a little below average).

Now make a note of your

Scores. Anywhere in the middle

sheet of paper, write:

What is “role playing”?

This is a role-playing game. That means

that you will be like an actor, imagining

that you are someone else, and pretending

to be that character. You won’t need a

stage, though, and you won’t need cos-

tumes or scripts. You only need to imag-

ine.

This game doesn’t have a board, be-

cause you won’t need one. Besides, no

Ability

of your

Strength

Dexterity

Intelligence

Learning how to play DUNGEONS 8c DRAGONS@ games!

Your first adventure

If you miss, the goblin tries again, but

misses. You can swing again; roll again

to see if you hit.

If you hit the goblin, he screams and

runs away, down the corridor and into

the darkness. (Goblins can see in the

dark.) You have wounded him.

If you keep missing, keep rolling! The

goblin is trying to hit you, but you keep

dodging the blows. Remember: if you

hit the goblin, he runs away.

Your home town is just a small place

with dirt roads. You set off one morning

and hike to the nearby hills. There are

several caves in the hills, caves where

treasures can be found, guarded by

monsters. You have heard that a man

named Bargle may also be found in these

caves. Bargle is a sort of bandit, who has

been stealing money, killing people, and

terrorizing your town. If you can catch

him, you can become a hero!

As you approach the entrance, you

look around. It’s a nice day, and every-

thing seems peaceful. You know that

things aren’t usually peaceful in caves

where monsters live, and it’s usually

dark, too. So you get out your lantern

and a tinderbox (matches haven’t been

invented yet, so the box has flint and

steel), and carefully light the wick. The

flame sputters a bit, but the oil soon

burns with a soft glow. With your sword

ready, you step into the cave.

It’s dark and musty inside. A passage

leads inward from the entrance, going

deeper into the hill. It looks like the only

way to go, so you head in that direction,

watching carefully for bats and other

nasty creatures.

Suddenly, you see a goblin! He is

smaller than you are, and looks like an

ugly little man with gray skin. He sees

you, gives a scream, waves his sword,

and attacks! You dodge his blow, and

raise your sword to swing.

If the goblin hadn’t attacked right

away, you might have tried talking to

him; but now you have no choice. You

must fight for your life.

Damage and hit points

In the game, when any creature is hit

(either monster or character), damage is

caused. There is a way of keeping track

of damage, called hit points.

The number of hit points is the

amount of damage that a creature can

take before being killed. Hit points can

be any number; the more hit points a

creature has, the harder it is to kill. We

often use an abbreviation for hit points:

it is hp.

Your fighter starts with 8 hp (hit

points) and still has all 8, since the goblin

never hit you. He may have hit your ar-

mor or shield, but never got through

your protection, so these attacks are still

called “misses” - they didn’t actually

damage your character.

You stop for a moment to be sure that

you are all right, and then continue

down the corridor. There are no side

passages, no other way to go.

Ahead, the corridor leads into a wider

area, which we will call a “chamber”.You

carefully approach the chamber, shining

your lantern around to see if anything is

there. A hiss comes from a corner of the

room to your left, and there you see a

huge rattlesnake, almost ten feet long!

Near it, on the floor, are hundreds of

gold and silver coins.

Constitution: Your health

Talking to a snake will do no good at all,

and you can’t just sneak past it. Again,

you must fight. For this battle, you will

keep track of hit points. The snake has 3

hp. On your sheet of paper, near the

bottom, write “Snake 3,” leaving some

room to keep track of the snake’s

damage.

This time, you will need to roll an 11

or higher to hit the snake. It’s slower and

easier to hit than the goblin was. But the

snake has a better chance of hitting you

than the goblin did, because it’s bigger

and tougher.

If you hit the snake, cross off the 3

and write a 2 next to it; you have

damaged the snake. If you miss, don’t

do anything.

The snake then bites at you, and hits!

At the top of the sheet, cross off the 8

after the words “Hit Points,” and write a

7 next to it.

While playing a D&D game by your-

self, you should use this method to keep

track of your hit points, and the hit

points of the monster you meet.

Your fighter is healthy, and can fight a

long time without tiring. This ability is

measured by another Ability Score,

called Constitution. Your Constitution is

16, well above average but not perfect.

Your Constitution affects your hit

points. If you have a low score, you

might only have 2 or 3 hit points. On the

other hand, if you had an 18 Constitu-

tion, you might have as many as 10 hp,

or more!

Write your new Ability Score under

the others on your sheet.

How to hit

In the game, whenever you try to hit a

monster there is a chance that you will

miss - and, of course, a chance that you

will hit. It is very hard for monsters to

hit your fighter, because of your fine

chain mail armor. The goblin isn’t as

hard to hit, because his armor is not

nearly as good.

To swing at the monster, you must

make a Hit Roll. Roll the twenty-sided

die. If you roll an 11 or less, your charac-

ter misses the goblin. If you roll a 12 or

higher, you hit! (This number is part of

the Combat Rules. You will learn more

about it as you continue.)

Constitution

Near the top of the page, above the Abil-

ity Scores, make a note of your hit

points:

Hit Points

Now back to your adventure:

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